BidVest Wits coach Roger de Sa is looking for consistency from his players and is not taking struggling Jomo Cosmos for granted when the teams clash in an Absa Premiership showdown at Milpark on Sunday. Kick-off is at 3.30pm.
On paper the unbeaten Students, sitting with 14 points in third place, should roll over second-from-bottom Ezenkosi, who have managed to pick up only six points from their eight league fixtures so far.
”I do not believe that Cosmos are as bad as their league position suggests,” said De Sa.
”In fact they are a better side, at least on paper, than they were before they were relegated. I expect a tough, tough game.”
De Sa said he had watched Cosmos lose 2-1 to Kaizer Chiefs at the Rand Stadium on the weekend and was convinced that Cosmos were not going to be easy meat.
”Cosmos were as good as Chiefs on the day,” said the Students’ coach.
”They have some decent players. New [Malian] striker Sekou Camara, Koena Mathopa and Bamuza Sono are all quality players who have shown that they up for the challenge of keeping Cosmos in the PSL after winning promotion.
”The fact they are fighting to get away from the bottom of the log means they are going to be doubly hard to play against.”
De Sa’s side are going well after returning from Orlando Stadium on Sunday with a creditable 1-1 draw against leaders Orlando Pirates.
”Pirates could have buried us in the first half but did not and we came back strongly in the second period,” said De Sa. ”It was a game in the end that could have gone either way.”
But De Sa is concerned about his side’s ability to kill off sides like Cosmos.
”We rise to the occasion when we play the big name sides such as Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns, Moroka Swallows, who we have beaten this season, and Pirates,” he said.
”But we lack consistency. The key for me is to motivate my players to beat sides like Cosmos. After this game we have to play Golden Arrows, Free State Stars and Platinum Stars.
”Those sides, like Cosmos, are below us and if we want to be recognised as title contenders we have to beat those types of teams.”
”I have to instil into my players that belief of winning and that we are good enough to challenge for the league title. That is the challenge facing me. But I am up for it and will make sure my players are as well.”
Camara was injured against Chiefs and could be unavailable, but Cosmos coach Jomo Sono has been a realist this season by stating his goal is survival.
He said every game was tough in the PSL but Cosmos were getting used to playing in the top flight and getting better with every outing.
In Sunday’s other clash, Ajax Cape Town host Chiefs at Newlands (3.30pm). Ajax will be boosted by their hard fought 1-0 win over struggling Platinum Stars at the new Moruleng Stadium in the North West Province on Wednesday night.
Playing without five players on duty with the South African under-20 squad at the World Youth Championships in Egypt, plus suspended midfielders Franklyn Cale and Nhlanhla Shabalala, the Urban Warriors held their ground and punished goal-shy Stars.
Ajax coach Muhsin Ertugral, who left Chiefs at the end of the season, will be keen to get the better of his former employers for a second time this season. Ajax reached the final of the MTN8 Cup competition after beating Amakhosi in a dramatic two-leg semifinal last month.
On Saturday Pirates play Free State Stars at the Charles Mopeli Stadium (3.30pm), which could turn out to be a slippery banana peel for the unbeaten Buccaneers.
At the Super Stadium on Saturday night (8.15pm) champions SuperSport play Golden Arrows, who defeated bottom club AmaZulu 1-0 at the Chatsworth Stadium on Wednesday night. — Sapa